Birthday Blues
by Amorphous Entity
Summary: Luffy cannot stand the thought of spending his birthday without his big brother there, and he can't help but be sick and miserable.  Can Zoro help his captain get over his illness?


Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece! But I wish I did...

A/N I just had an urge to write this, and I know I haven't updated other stories in so long! Forgive me I am just really busy! Enjoy!

Luffys POV

May 5th, the first birthday I'll be spending away from home and can't spend it with Ace either. Well, at least I have my nakama, but how do I tell them, what am I supposed to say? Maybe I won't tell them, I mean It's just a birthday everybody has them, what makes me special? We can't spare the food for a party either, I checked, It'll just be a normal day, I'll tell them later... much later. Still It's too bad I feel like crap today I at least wanted to be healthy and lonely on my birthday, not sick and lonely.

Regular POV

"Hey wheres Luffy, some one go wake him up!" Nami was yelling but that just meant she cared, everyone knew that any meal without their captain wasn't a meal at all.

"Zoro! Go wake up Luffy!" He was the safest bet, Luffy got up before the crew most of the time. But on the off chance he sleeps late, being woken up by anyone other than the first mate was dangerous and or fatal. A hungry, sleep clouded Luffy is one of the truly most frightening things that exist on the face of the earth.

"Luffy! Breakfast!" Zoro yelled from the deck, not bothering to come down stairs and get caught in Luffys, hungry one man stampede.

"I'll be up in a -cough- minute!" Why had Luffy coughed? He was never sick, Zoro was the first mate and I have never seen him down with the flu or anything.

"Slowly and silently he lowered himself into the mens quarters seeking to find what was wrong with his captain. The room only had a small glow of light and little could be made out, only enough not to tripped over any obstacles accidentally. The other objects that could be seen were simple or noticeable, such as hanging hammocks and Zoros comfy, green couch. There was an occupied hammock swaying in the corner and couldn't be holding any other person than Luffy as it stood out in the darkness to the green haired swords mans eyes.

A small lump under a faded, blue blanket was curled up inside one of the tight sleep area breathing heavily. Fully knowing this was his captain Zoro approached the fidgeting boy and spotted all the evidence that anyone would need to identify Straw Hat Luffy peering down at boshi appearing just outside the cozy cocoon. Placing his right hand on the outside of firmly wrapped covers he shook the young boy in a gentle manner with long intervals between as he took that time to call out his friends name.

A low moaning omitted after a god two minutes from the center of comforters notifying the first mate that his efforts were not in vain. Slight movement could be detected from just recently woken up captain, noticing that Luffy was struggling to be released from the nighttime prison he had tangled himself into unwillingly he decided that he would offer his assistance by pulling against the death trap at appropriate points.

Even under all the blankets Zoro could still hear a sigh of relief from the trapped boy as he could feel the swordsmans hands doing the work of setting him free instead of his own proving his theory that he was indeed under the weather.

After many surprisingly, strenuous minutes he had stripped the covers from Luffys now shivering body, obviously from the change of environment and temperature. Doing a full body check of his captain curled into a fetal position and shaking violently, the only excuse for Luffys previous and current behaviour being that he was sick.

"Luffy, are you alright?" Zoro spoke softly trying impossibly hard to keep his patients in key in the event that the boy wasn't coherent and easily startled at fault of the assumed sickness he possessed.

"hmm...Zo-ro-o you the-ere..?" The rasp in his voice was near unbearable, reaching the frequency of nails connecting with a chalk board, it hurt to hear his captain this way.

"Ya buddy I'm here, don't try to talk okay?" All he received in reply was a moan, either of pain or that his mind was again fading from consciousness.

As the now worried first mate prepared to tell the furry physician of their captains current condition. Only to halt abruptly as he noticed the tanned fist tightly clenched the fabric of his shirt, gripping as if it was a life preserver and letting go would mean certain death. This sight clawed at the green haired mans heart as the image burned deep into his soul, the perpetually joyful and unrealistically strong Straw Hat Luffy holding such a pained vulnerable expression.

Any thought of leaving the raven haired boy alone were non existent as Zoro snatched a close by chair and placing in extremely close to his green couch. Walking dutifully back to Luffys side he slipped both muscular arms beneath his body, so gentle that it would resemble the way of handling a fragile glass sculpture that could break at the tiniest of human contact.

The young teen clung to Zoros chest just like he had earlier to the end of his shirt, in a feeble attempt to take the new heat source for his own while at the same time cuddling into it. The older mans cheeks flared a dark crimson at the unexpected bodily contacted, but now was not the time for undesired emotions, he had to care for his captain.

Quickly as possible he set the younger boys limp form atop the soft cushions and replaced his body heat with the previously acquired blue faded quilt hoping that the transition wouldn't cause his unconscious captain to stir. He was now able to take in fully Luffys condition, a light flush tinted his face, and a sheen of sweat coated ever inch of his skin. His breaths came out in short gasps which caused him to grimace each time his chest rose or fell, in short he did not look well in any way whatsoever.

A hacking cough escaped from the sick teens throat tremors followed shortly after, Zoro reluctantly let his let hand lower onto his captains forehead snapping in back almost as soon as it made contact with the scorching flesh.

He was torn by his options, find Chopper so he could help Luffy to get well, or wait and stay with his sickened friend until a crew member entered the room and demand they find Chopper instead. After making his decision the determined swordsman stood and made his to the hatch.

"Zo-ro ple-ase do-n't go..." The said man stopped dead in his tracks and in the same movement did a one-eighty degree turn and was sent sauntering back towards his pleading captain, he needed to get their doctor but he couldn't leave him alone in this state. He was at a lose of what was to be done, so he just slumped back into the wooden chair next to his friends bed and watched a sign of any further conversation from the boy, but there was none.

_This is going to be a long day, I can can already feel the upcoming headache..._Zoro thought bitterly as he prepared himself for oncoming events.

TBC...

A/N Hoped you liked it I enjoyed writing so please do read the next chapter when it is released! R&R


End file.
